Create an embedded device that attaches to the underside of vehicles that, using sonar or other distance measuring means, can detect when the car passes over a pothole. (The distance to the ground increases suddenly and then returns to the starting distance once the pothole has passed). Then report that via a built-in cell connection. This would turn cars into street condition sensors that can be used by the city to repair potholes before they become sinkholes.

This might be difficult to turn around in one weekend, though, and might not be producible at a reasonable cost.

This idea could provide maintenance crews with more precise data on location and severity than the phone hotline. If the device were installed on private cars, deciding who pays and who has access to the data could be tricky. Are Metro Transit buses good candidates?